Outside mounted room air conditioner structure



Dec. 1, 1970 R. w. OBERDIER 3,543,533

OUTSIDE MOUNTED ROOM AIR CONDITIONER STRUCTURE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Dec. 5. 1968 Dec. 1, 1970 w, QBERDIER 3,543,533

OUTSIDE MOUNTED ROOM AIR CONDITIONER STRUCTURE Filed Dec. 5, 1968 2 Shets-Sheet 2 f F|G.4 22-- & 9

United States Patent m 3,543,533 OUTSIDE MOUNTED ROOM AIR CONDITIONER STRUCTURE Robert W. Oberdier, Woodstock, Ohio, assignor to Westinghouse Electric Corporation, Pittsburgh, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Filed Dec. 5, 1968, Ser. No. 781,518 Int. Cl. F25d 23/12 US. Cl. 62-262 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE An access panel arrangement for a room air conditioner having a main section depending along an outside building wall below a window and with a separable duct section connected to the window opening, the access panel arrangement being located on the outer face of the main section to accommodate access to the main section in ground level installations from outside the building, and to accommodate access from inside the building on an upper level installation after the main section has been moved upwardly and tilted into the window opening.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED PATENT APPLICATIONS Related US. patent applications are Ulich, Ser. No. 781,517, entitled Room Air Conditioner Duct Section (W.E. 40,289), and Ulich, Ser. No. 781,516, entitled Outside Mounted Room Air Conditioner (W.E. 40,287).

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Field of the invention This invention pertains to the art of room air conditioners of the character which are mounted outside a building wall to depend below a window opening and which have a separable duct section connecting the main section to the window opening.

Description of the prior art No prior art which is especially applicable to this invention is known to me. However, US. patents which disclose room air conditioners mounted substantially entirely outside of the room being conditioned and which include a casing depending along the building wall outside of the window are: 3,313,122; D. 179,726; 2,737,788; 2,667,765; 2,660,867; and 2,660,866, for example.

Among the problems experienced in the development of a room air conditioner of the character noted and which incorporates the invention was the location of the electrical components compartment so that the space in the room air conditioner handling room air flow Was not obstructed in a manner which would significantly affect either the air flow, or the sound level resulting from the air flow. The electrical components compartment typically includes such electrical devices as the compressor capacitor, motor capacitors, terminal blocks, relay sets, and electrical heating controls, for example. It would seem that ideally with the type of air conditioner to which the invention is applicable that the provision of the electrical controls compartment should be in a location permitting access from the top of the unit while the unit is installed. However such a location resulted in apparent problems with respect to both appearance and weather tightness.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In accordance with the invention, the room air conditioner main section is provided with an electrical components compartment in the main section and adjacent the outer face thereof, with the compartment being open on its outer side. Panel means are provided for covering the outer side of the air conditioner main section and thereby also covering the outer open face of the electrical components compartment, the panel means being removable from the main section for gaining access.

Since the room air conditioner to which the invention is applicable may be installed at ground level with one type of supporting arrangement, and at an upper level with another type of supporting arrangement in which the main section may be elevated and then tipped into the window opening after the removal of the separable duct section, the provision for access on the outer face of the main section facilitates diagnosis and repair regardless of the mounting arrangement. That is, for ground level installations the service procedures may be carried out from outside of the building, while at the upper level installations the access panel arrangement on the outer face of the main section results in access being had from the top after the main section has been pulled up and tilted into the window opening.

DRAWING DESCRIPTION FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of a room air conditioner of the character provided with the invention and mounted in a typical lower level installation;

FIG. 2 is an isometric view of the inner face of the main section of the room air conditioner;

FIG. 3 is an isometric view of a room air conditioner according to the invention as viewed from outside the building;

FIG. 4 is a partly-broken elevational view of the interior parts of the upper portion of the main section with the wrapper removed, the view being essentially the same as that afforded when the upper access panel is removed;

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view corresponding to one taken along the line VV of FIG. 3; and

FIG. 6 is a side view illustrating the position of the main section after being brought into the window opening in an upper level installation.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT The two main parts of the room air conditioner unit according to the invention are the main section 10 (FIGS. l3) and the duct section 11. The main section is of generally rectangular, box shape and is designed especially to depend along the outside of the building wall 12 below a window opening 13 in the building wall. The window assembly illustrated is of the typical single or double hung wooden type and includes a Window sash 14 which is vertically movable in the sash tracks, and a window sill 15.

The main section 10* contains the refrigeration system components and the air flow components which together contribute most of the weight of the unit. The locations of these components within the main section are designated by the dash-line outline in FIG. 1 and include a refrigerant compressor 18, condenser 19, and a condenser fan 20 driven by electric motor 21, all of these components enumerated being in the lower part of the main section as illustrated. The upper part of the main section is separated from the lower part by a base and contains a pair of fans in housings 22 driven by an electric motor 23 positioned between the fan wheel housings, a refrigerant evaporator 24, and ductwork 25 leading from the fan housing discharge to the upstream face of the evaporator. The upper portion is made weather tight and most of the walls forming it have thermal insulation on their inner faces.

The duct section 11 comprises four outer walls and an intermediate wall 27 to form a pair of open-ended passages 28 and 29. The outer end of the duct section is attached in substantially sealed relation to the open, upper, inner face portion 30 of the main section by attachment to the brackets 31 (FIG. 2), while the inner end of the duct section mounts an open work decorative front and closure assembly 32. Return air from the room passes through the lower passage 28 to the room air fans which force the air through ductwork 25 to evaporator 24 where it is cooled and then conducted through upper passage 29 back to the room. The duct section walls are of a material providing substantial thermal insulation between the interior and exteror of the duct section, such as that disclosed in the first noted Ulich patent application. As such, it is substantially non-load bearing with respect to supporting the main section. Accordingly the main section is preferably independently supported as described in the other noted Ulich patent application by the support means 33 and 34 (FIG. 1) typically used for a ground level installation, or alternate support means 35 (FIG. 6) typically used for an upper level installation. In the upper level installation, the main section 10 may be elevated and tilted into the window to the position shown in FIG. 6 for service.

Referring now to FIG. 4, the general relationship of the parts in the interior of the upper part of the main section is shown. The spaced-apart fan housings 22 and spaced apart ductwork 25 provide a space therebetween which accommodates an upstanding, outwardly-open channel 36 which is secured along its bottom edges to the base 37, and forms walls defining a part of the electrical components compartment. The compartment contains components such as the motor capacitors 38, terminal blocks and other electrical parts typically used. Electrical conductors 39 lead to the motors, and to the control boX 40 (shown in its operative position in FIG. 1 and its shipping position in FIG. 2) which contains switches for controlling the operation of the air conditioner.

A U-shaped wrapper (preferably one piece) forms a top wall 41 (FIGS. 1-3) and opposite side walls 42 and 43 for the main section. The wrapper outer edge along the top and sides is bent over on itself and then inwardly to form an inset 44 (FIG. which serves as a seat for the access panel means covering the outer face of the air conditioner. This arrangement also stiffens the wrapper considerably. The access panel means comprises an upper solid panel 45 and a lower louvered panel 46 which has its upper edge overlapped by the lower edge of the upper panel. Screws 47 through the margins of the panel and into the wrapper in said seat hold the panels in place. A gasket 48 is provided on the inner face of the panel adjacent all four of the panel edges and serves, along with the inset relation of the seat, to seal the outer face of the air conditioner against weather leakage.

As to service requirements with the arrangement described, if the air conditioner is mounted in a ground level installation or at a height reasonably close to the ground with the support means as illustrated in FIG. 1, the access panel 45 is approached from outside and simply removed by loosening the screws 47 so that access may be had to the entire upper interior part of the air conditioner. Typically, the access will be required to work in connection with the parts in the electrical components compartment which is readily exposed by removal of the panel 45. If the installation is of an upper level type, the duct section 11 is first removed and the room air conditioner is ele vated by means of the jack associated with the support means 35 of FIG. 6, and then tipped into the window opening to the position shown in FIG. 6. In this position the access panel 45 faces upwardly and may be conveniently removed from within the room.

What I claim is:

1. A room air conditioner comprising:

a generally rectangular box shaped main section especially adapted to depend along the outside of a buildwall below a window, and having an outer face facing away from said building;

a duct section extending from said main section to said window;

wrapper means for covering the opposite sides and top of said main section;

means defining an electrical components compartment, containing motor start capacitor means at least, in said main section adjacent said outer face, said compartment being open on its outer side; and

panel means for covering said outer side of said electrical components compartment, said panel means being removable from said main section to gain access to said electrical components compartment.

2. A room air conditioner according to claim 1 wheresaid wrapper means comprises a one-piece, downwardlyopen, U-shaped member.

3. A room air conditioner according to claim 1 wheresaid wrapper means includes outer edge flange means forming an inset for seating said panel means.

4. A room air conditioner according to claim 1 wheresaid electrical components compartment is located in the upper portion of said main section; and

said panel means comprises a separate upper panel and a separate lower panel for covering the upper and lower portions, respectively, of the outer face of said main section.

'5. In a room air conditioner having a generally rectangular box shaped main section depending below a window opening along the outside of a building wall and having a separable duct section connecting the upper part of said main section to said window opening;

support means of a character for moving said main section upwardly and tilting it inwardly to a position in said window opening with its outer face facing upwardly; said main section having an upper portion for room air flow therethrough and substantially sealed with respect to ambient, said upper portion including means defining an electrical components compartment adjacent the outer vertical face of said main section;

casing means for said main section including means defining an opening therein facing said electrical components space and at least coextensive in area therewith;

a removable panel on the outer face of said main section for covering said opening; and

means providing a weatherproof seal between said panel and said casing means.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,917,904 12/1959 Davis 62262 2,945,360 7/1960 Tyler 62262 3,286,481 11/1966 Wrench 62262 3,465,539 9/1969 Smith 62-262 WILLIAM J. WYE, Primary Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 

